Across Different Generations Female Students Share Their Stories of Military Service

(November 11, 2025) - Two student veterans from different generations shared with us their stories of military service and we share them with you to honor their service and thank all who served on Veterans Day.

Business Administration major Dominique Tapp, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, has always valued structure, purpose, and service. Coming from a family of military veterans, she chose to continue that legacy by joining the U.S. Army in 2017. This decision provided both stability and the opportunity to pursue her education.

During Tapp’s seven years of service, she was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, at Caserma Ederle, before completing assignments in California and Georgia. As a Transportation Management Coordinator, her duties involved coordinating the movement of equipment and personnel, often across international borders. “We worked with different countries’ militaries and had to adapt to their rules and procedures quickly,” she recalled. “Sometimes we worked in 24-hour shifts, even in freezing conditions, but it taught me resilience and teamwork.”

After two years in Italy, Tapp was reassigned to Fort Irwin, California, in the desert. The experience, she said, was much more challenging than Italy. “It was very secluded. The nearest town was far, and we experienced both extreme heat and extreme cold temperatures,” she recalled.

Her next assignment brought her to Savannah, Georgia, where she found a better balance between military life and personal freedom. “Once I got off base, I could go downtown and enjoy the city,” she said. “I made new friends outside of the military, and that helped a lot.” However, Tapp’s unit wasn’t the best fit for her, which ultimately led her to fully pursue her passion for going to college.

Tapp’s Army Service ended in January 2024. Her transition to civilian life was one of her most challenging assignments yet. “It was tough at first,” she admitted. “It probably took me six months to get into a routine of my own. But it taught me a lot about who I was outside of the uniform.”

After moving to Atlanta, Tapp researched schools that offered a personal learning environment and a place where she could focus and grow. That search for connection and purpose ultimately led her to Clayton State University, where she found the supportive, close-knit community she desired.

Adjusting to college life after years in the military wasn’t easy for Dominique. The shift from a highly structured environment to a more independent campus setting required patience and self-awareness. “The dynamics of the military and school are totally different,” she said. “At first, it was hard to adjust, but coming to Clayton State made that transition easier. The campus is interactive, and everyone has been so open and supportive of veterans.”

Tapp appreciates that her military experience continues to shape her perspective as a student. “It helped me become more confident in leading others and communicating with different kinds of people,” she said.

Now, Tapp continues to thrive at Clayton State University, where the supportive and veteran-friendly environment enables her to focus on her studies and personal growth. “Clayton State made it possible for me to take the discipline and leadership I learned in the military and apply it to my education and life beyond service,” she said. As she honors her journey this Veterans Day, Dominique stands as a testament to resilience, dedication, and the power of finding a community to support those who have served.

Janice Sanders' Veteran Story

Janice Sanders is a Paralegal Studies major at Clayton State University who aims to receive an associate degree in December 2026. She joined the Air Force in July 1980 and served for 12 years. “The time that I came in, I guess they were just really starting to recruit more females into the Air Force,” according to Janice. However, she shared that she had met a woman in an Air Force uniform as a child, who made a lasting impression on her. After that chance meeting, she felt she knew what her career would be and that God had destined her to travel the world someday. 

Janice started her military career with basic training in San Antonio, TX. After leaving San Antonio, she attended training at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi to become a personnel resource management specialist. After her training, Janice was stationed at Torrejon Air Base in Spain.

At Torrejon Air Base, she worked on what they call outbound assignments. Janice said, “My job was to process service members, including officers, enlisted officers, and their families. We would receive their assignment. Once they received their assignment, we had to process their orders, which essentially indicated their destination.  We also coordinated getting their flights back to the United States or wherever else they were going to be flying to in the world.”

During that time in Spain, Janice received persistent unwanted attention from someone above her supervisor in the organizational hierarchy, which put her under tremendous stress. Eventually, she received medical care. Afterward, she reported her complaint to her supervisor, and she was transferred to a new assignment. Despite transferring away from that hostile work environment, Janice said she developed PTSD from the experience.

Her next assignment was a special duty role at a personnel office located in Hyannis, Massachusetts, which supported the nearby Cape Cod Air Force Station on Cape Cod. In the Cape Cod area, Janice said, “I was able to take boat trips and go deep-sea fishing. There were museums, and she began attending school. She studied psychology at Cape Cod Community College. I also started seeing a therapist while I was there. That was due to what had happened when I was in Spain.”

During her time in Cape Cod, Janice’s grandmother became ill, but she had difficulty getting leave from work to visit her. Frustrated with that experience, Janice felt it was time for a change. She said, “I ended up going on my first tour to Korea. I was at Kunsan Air Base Station in South Korea, and it was a one-year tour.” She would later return for a second tour in South Korea.

It was in South Korea, working at the consolidated base personnel office, Janice was one of five people promoted to Staff Sergeant. In addition to being happy with the promotion, Janice shared, “That was like the icing on the cake for me there. But I adored my work. I enjoyed working with people and made new friends.”

After her year in South Korea, Janice transferred to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC. Part of her duties there included taking regular trips to the Pentagon. She had the opportunity there to meet a General who pulled her aside to tell her how important the work she did was and how it helped him stay organized. At the same time, her twin sister, who had joined the Army, was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This proximity allowed them to reconnect.

Janice also had the opportunity to work at Andrews Air Force Base.  She said, “I was working in the audio-video area, and it was during the Gulf War. So, there were a lot of photographers there, and we were responsible for processing those pictures.” She later transferred to the helicopter command while at Andrews, and that group oversaw airshows at the base.

Following the Gulf War, the military underwent a period of downsizing and base consolidation. Janice had the opportunity to try to stay in the military by seeking another promotion, but she decided it was time to end her military career.

Janice concluded by saying, “I wouldn't trade my military experiences for anything. Being a veteran allowed me to go back to school. That foundation that I had through my Air Force experience, I believe, has really pushed me, even at the age that I'm at, to continue to aim high because that is the Air Force motto.”